A leader I worked for had a knack for explaining complex things.

Unfortunately, her approach often involved Powerpoint slides, lots of talking, and confusion on our part.

The problem started when she put a lot of effort into understanding something. Then, she tried to cram all of her knowledge into one hour in an attempt to transfer all of it to us.

We often walked away more confused than informed.

When people don’t understand the message, it’s tempting to add to the message. After all, I’m sure they’ll understand with more information, right?

Adding information will often make the problem worse.

Rather than adding to your messages, take away from and simplify them.

Start simple, and let them ask questions.

You’ve got this.